Zuma takes the hot seat in Parliament

By Faeza

17 March 2016

President Jacob Zuma will take the hot seat in Parliament on Thursday in an question and answer session with MPs amid explosive revelations that the Gupta family had been trying to influence Cabinet appointments.

Zuma is expected in the National Assembly Chamber at 14:00.

This follows Deputy Minister of Finance Mcebisi Jonas's confirmation on Wednesday night that he was offered the finance ministry job by Zuma’s well-known associates, the Guptas.

However, Jonas said he rejected this out of hand.

"The basis of my rejection of their offer is that it makes a mockery of our hard earned democracy, the trust of our people and no one apart from the President of the Republic appoints ministers," he said.

The Gupta family denied meeting Jonas and accused him of lying. The family has challenged Jonas to provide proof of the meeting.

The presidency is yet to comment on the matter.

This comes just a day after former ANC MP Vytjie Mentor caused a storm when she alleged that she was offered a cabinet position by the Gupta family back in 2010.

Mentor made the allegation in response to Democratic Alliance member Johann Abrie's post on Monday about the Guptas offering deputy finance minister Mcebisi Jonas the job of finance minister before Nhlanhla Nene was removed.

She wrote: "But they had previously asked me to become Minister of Public Enterprises when Barbara Hogan got the chop, provided that I would drop the SAA flight-route to India and give to them. I refused and so I was never made a Minister. The President was in another room when they offered me this in Saxonworld. [sic]"

Despite her allegation, President Jacob Zuma has claimed that he had "no recollection of Ms Mentor and is not aware of the alleged incidents in her career".